Wonder Woman dominates global box office

Global Business

“Wonder Woman” is living up to her name in every way. The film based on the 76 year old DC comic superhero, shattered the record for a female director, hauling in more than $100 million in the US opening weekend.

In China, it box office receipts totaled nearly $40 million.

CGTN’s May Lee takes a look at the box office returns.

It’s a huge win for women in Hollywood who can now hang their hat on a multi-pronged victory – female director, female protagonist, big-budget superhero film, a genre always reserved for the boys.

“There is some sort of institutionalized sexism that’s at the heart of a lot of these issues,” Kirsten Schaffer, the executive director of Women and Film said. ” A belief that a film like this with a woman at the center won’t do well, which not only did it bring in 52 percent of women to see an action movie which is unusual, but that means 48 percent of the audience was guys.”

Aside from the Hollywood records, “Wonder Woman” is reaching beyond the silver screen and striking an unexpected emotional chord with women and girls at a divisive time when they feel the need to boldly stand up and fight for their beliefs.

Social media has exploded with posts about the movie. It’s now the most tweeted-about film of 2017. There are countless photos of young girls dressed as “Wonder Woman” as well tearful reactions from grown women to, of all things, the battle scenes.

A pivotal moment that was nearly cut from the film, is No Man’s Land when “Wonder Woman” courageously faces the Nazis on her on.

Meredith Woerner, editor of the Hero Complex section of the LA Times, was so moved, she wrote a personal commentary. “It’s something you would normally see Superman in or Captain America in and now you were seeing a woman in this and I think a lot of people were realizing that they had never seen this,” Woerner said.

It’s that kind of enthusiasm that the industry expects will keep “Wonder Woman” at the #1 spot going into its second weekend, proving that she’s got staying power. It took 76 years for Diana Prince to make her cinematic debut, but for women and girls, AND men and boys, it’s been well worth the wait.